Chapter 320: Alert Level 1
“That aside, let’s activate Stampede Alert Level 1.”
As the Guild Master declared this while marking the distribution of monsters on the map with red dots, it became clear that while the shallow areas and mid-layers of the Forest of Enchantment were relatively safe, the deeper regions were dotted with ominous red markings.
“Level 1, huh?”
“That’s right. It indicates a potential for a Stampede to occur soon.”
From what I gathered, it seems that instances of Level 1 being activated are quite rare. This is largely because there aren’t many capable individuals who can investigate the deeper areas, and by the time they realize the situation, it’s often too late. I couldn’t help but think how this city manages to stay afloat under such circumstances. If the monsters were to breach this city, the nation would undoubtedly suffer significant damage. There are a few small settlements around, but the next major city along the road from here is the Royal Capital. …I thought to myself that they shouldn’t have built the Royal Capital so close, but I kept that to myself.
“The fact that there’s a possibility means there’s also a chance it won’t happen.”
“Exactly. We usually only observe up to the mid-layers of the Forest of Enchantment, so it’s hard to determine if the monster distribution has merely increased slightly. However, if there’s such a mass deeper within, that changes things. …But it’s also possible that the distribution is just as usual.”
Even so, doing nothing in response is out of the question. Preparedness is essential for unforeseen circumstances. The scattered red markers indicated the names of the main monsters, and the Guild Master’s finger glided over the ones that required particular caution.
“The three most dangerous types are the Rock Dragon, the Metal Spider, and the Red Ant.”
The Rock Dragon was a lizard we encountered early in our investigations. Then there’s the Metal Spider, which produces the threads used for the shirts we often wear. The strength of this thread is something we’ve come to appreciate, but for an average person, its durability is nothing short of astonishing. The Red Ant is ranked as a C, but its sheer numbers are not to be underestimated.
“There are other monsters that can’t be ignored, but I want you to keep a close watch on these three types.”
“Before that, is it alright to consider the investigation of the Forest of Enchantment complete?”
Since we had surveyed all the areas where the usual distributions were known, it should be fine to conclude for now. We had already explored beyond that range, and while it felt like we might have overdone it, we couldn’t afford to drag things out any longer.
“…Yes. I didn’t expect the investigation to conclude so quickly either. I’d like you to accept the monitoring of the monsters as an additional request.”
“Understood.”
Once we’ve surveyed an area, re-investigating doesn’t take much time. Since we don’t need to familiarize ourselves with the terrain again, we can allocate more of our parallel thinking to searching for monsters. Plus, if we mark strong individuals with Spatial Magic, we can keep track of them even from a distance. This means we can dedicate more time to exploring the ruins.
After finalizing the conditions for the additional request with the Guild Master, we disbanded. Exiting the office, I parted ways with the Guild Master, who was preparing to issue a special alert. It seemed that a swift message would be sent to the Royal Capital as well. If we couldn’t hold the line here, it would naturally be the Royal Capital’s turn. Perhaps reinforcements would come from there.
As usual, I left the Guild and returned home, only to find two burly men sprawled near the gate. I could faintly sense El’s magic power, so they were likely the ones who had been chased off. Seriously, the crime rate is way too high for a Main Street. Unbelievable.
“I’m home!”
“Welcome back, big brother! Welcome back, big sister!”
Entering the living room, I was greeted cheerfully by Phonia.
“Hey, we’re back. Some strange guys came by and tried to break in, so I sent them flying.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Ivan, who had noticed us, informed us that the men had arrived right after we got home. Apparently, the moment they uttered a threatening remark, El’s magic had erupted. Since she had restrained it enough not to affect passersby, the men hadn’t sustained much damage and didn’t feel threatened, which led Ivan to physically remove them.
“Well, whatever. Now that the investigation of the Forest of Enchantment is done, how about we check out some ruins I found in the forest starting tomorrow?”
“Ruins?”
“Yeah. I stumbled upon them while surveying the forest. The Guild wasn’t aware of them, so there’s a chance they might be unexplored.”
“Wow, something like that exists in that forest?”
“Yeah. The Forest of Enchantment is quite vast, so there might be other ruins as well.”
Speaking of which, there was that mysterious tower in the Heavenly Wolf Forest. There are also places like the Rift of the Earth, and it seems there are more mysteries and facilities in this world than I initially thought. At this rate, there might even be floating continents! The possibilities are endless! I should ask Mesaria-san about it next time. She seems to know a lot about the legends from around the world.
“Are the ruins dungeons?”
Phonia’s question made everyone exchange glances.
“Well, I went down to the second underground level, but it wasn’t a dungeon.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure what lies beyond that, though. What do you think?”
“We won’t know until we go, right?”
“Yeah! I’ll solve the mysteries of the ruins!”
“Haha, that’s right. I’ll leave it to you when the time comes, Phonia.”
“Leave it to me!”
And so, we watched with fond smiles as Phonia puffed out her chest confidently.